


Bromance

by CaptainWolf



Category: Football RPF
Genre: M/M, Slow Burn, kinda???
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-14
Updated: 2015-11-14
Packaged: 2018-05-01 15:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5211806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainWolf/pseuds/CaptainWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Much to Mathieu's surprise his friendship with teammate Mesut Özil is voted "Best Bromance"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bromance

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【弗拉鱼】 Bromance By CaptainWolf一发完](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8100646) by [batcat229](https://archiveofourown.org/users/batcat229/pseuds/batcat229)



“Bromance?” Mathieu has no idea what that means. Sure he’s heard the term often enough but never towards himself.

“Yeah y’know, bros who are like _really_ good friends that they are basically dating” Theo grins at him “You and Mesut got voted for the bromance of the season. I always wondered when your bromance would get brought up; I mean you two basically have candle lit dinners”

 “We aren’t dating?” Mathieu frowns briefly. He has never considered their friendship to be that close.

Theo snorted “You might as well be dating though. I mean really I wouldn’t be surprised if I learned you two lived together. Anyways I better get back to it, I can see the Boss giving me the evil eye” Theo jogged off leaving Mathieu standing there lost in thought.

-

Mathieu really didn’t think much of his friendship with Mesut until their “bromance” is brought up that he begins to look at it objectively. Unfortunately so does the entire internet. He doesn’t often pay attention to comments fans leave on the social media pages, it’s an easy way to discourage yourself, but he feels compelled to see what the fans say about this.

Not ten minutes later Mathieu has to close his laptop and get up for a cool glass of water. To think people though such things of him and his friend!

He can feel his face heating up remembering some of the comments. Does Mesut know about this? He wonders but quickly decides he doesn’t actually want to know. It might make their friendship awkward.

-

Despite this Mathieu ends up being awkward regardless. He can’t quiet look his friend in the eye when the German jogs over during practice to do the two person stretches. It really doesn’t help when Jack hollers across the pitch “Lovah Boys!” Mathieu knows Jack is just being Jack but he kinda wants to throttle the boy right now”

Mesut looks at him quizzically “What is he talking about?”

“It is nothing. He is being ridiculous.” Mathieu tries to brush it off and thanks the heavens his face is already flush from exorcising.

-

 _Of course_ the social media people want him to do a video on what he thinks about his “bromance” with Mesut. Half of him wants to awkwardly laugh off the questions but another half wants to ramble on and on about why Mesut is so important to the team, some people don’t appreciate him nearly enough in his opinion.

In the end is a mix of both and looking back on the video he wants to scream. Being on camera never really agreed, probably why he became a footballer.

Against his better judgement he looks at what the fans leave in the comments once the video goes up. Once again Mathieu has to quickly shut his laptop in embarrassment.

-

Mathieu hopes the whole thing will just go away but unfortunately he’s at Arsenal where bad luck is an everyday occurrence and next day there is Mesut telling him ‘he saw the video’

“What video” he lies through his teeth. He knows exactly what video Mesut is talking about.

“The one about our, what is it they call it? Bromance? Yes that.” Mon Dieu, Mathieu is sure he is going to die when Mesut suddenly blushes “did you mean what you mean what you said?”

“Yes of course! Why wouldn’t I?”

“Well…I don’t know. I suppose it just hard to believe that about myself?”

Mathieu reaches out to Mesut “Mon amour, don’t say that. I could not imagine this team without you” He gives his friend a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder “Now come, let’s get back to practice before the Boss gets grumpy”

It isn’t until later Mathieu realises he said ‘mon amour’ instead of ‘mon ami’. He sends a quick thanks to the heavens that Mesut is German and not French.

-

Mathieu is in the locker room after another practice when Oliver leans on the wall by him. Mathieu can tell by the look on the man’s face that his fellow countryman is up to no good. Perhaps if he pretends he isn’t there Oliver will go away.

“So….” Oliver drawls finally after a few beats. No such luck at him getting bored and leaving then.

“So?” Mathieu responds, hoping to get this over quickly, whatever _this_ could be.

“Mon Amour huh? I knew you two were close but I had no idea”

Mathieu eyes widen in shock. He was so focused on Mesut he didn’t realise someone else might understand his mistake. “It is not like that” he stammers. “I just mixed up my words” he tries to defend at Oliver’s look of disbelief.

 “It is nothing to be ashamed of my friend. Honestly I was wondering when you would realise it yourself” Oliver laughs at Mathieu’s confused expression “The way you look at him; you’d think he hung the moon and the stars.”

“I don’t- He just-“ Mathieu doesn’t even know what to say to that.

Oliver laughs some more and gets up to leave. “Oh and by the way since you obviously haven’t noticed, he looks at you the same way”

-

Because Mathieu cannot deal with this kind of realisation he avoids Mesut completely. The look on his friend’s face kills him every time he goes to do his workouts with another teammate but he just can’t face him.

His stomach does a nervous flip every time he thinks of being in the same room with his dear friend and the words Giroud told him rattle in his head. Sure he is close to the German but he never thought about him like that, until now of course and he doesn’t know what to think.

He _can’t_ fall for his friend. What would their teammate think? What would the fans think?

What would Mesut think?

Giroud said he feels the same but Mathieu couldn’t imagine it. He just sees them as friends surely and acting upon his feelings would just ruin that. No, Mathieu decides, he will not say anything to Mesut because their friendship is too precious. It is better to just pretend like he didn’t realise any new feelings for his friend.

-

Mathieu tries to go back to being normal, to do his usual workouts with Mesut and their hangouts but he knows he is being awkward. Ever since he noticed his feelings for the other man it’s like everything has been amplified. Every time their skin contacts it sends a thrill down his spine. Every time Mesut looks at him he feels lightheaded. Every time they sit close he wants to sigh and move closer.

It’s maddening to notice these feelings and Mathieu feels like he’s going to explode out of his own skin. What’s worse is he knows Mesut notices. Every time they touch he jerks away. Every time they make eye contact he looks away. Every time they sit close he moves away. The look of hurt and confusion on Mesut’s face hurts him even more but it is what he has to do. Their friendship is too precious and he cannot lose it.

-

“Has there been something I have done to offend you?” Mathieu jumps at the voice and spins around to see Mesut standing near the door to the locker room. He looks upset and Mathieu feels guilty because he knows he is the cause of this.

“No, no of course not my friend” He tries to reassure Mesut, hoping the other man will drop it.

Mesut frowns and moves close to Mathieu “Then why have you been avoiding me? I’m not a child I do notice something is wrong. I can’t help you if you don’t let me.”

Mathieu’s heart begins to race “I have not been avoiding you. We still spend time together”

“Ja, we spend time together but you are not really there. Please tell me what it wrong.” Mesut pleads to him. He is now right in front of the Frenchman. Too close.

“There is nothing you can do. Please Mesut, please let this drop”

Mesut doesn’t yell, instead he speaks softly like Mathieu is a startled animal “Mathieu I will not leave. Not when you are clearly hurting.” Mesut places his hand on Mathieus arm and just like that his resolve crumbles.

“I have feeling for you!” He blurts out, finally after weeks of keeping it to himself. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He starts rambling and tries to pull away, needed to be else, but Mesut tightens his grip on Mathieu’s arm.

“Oh Mathieu…” Mesut says softly and puts his other hand on Mathieu's cheek. “I was so afraid it was something terrible.”

Mathieu looks up hesitantly, expecting….well he’s not sure what he is expecting but not Mesut smiling.

“What-“ He doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence because Mesut leans down and kisses him. His mind is reeling and the only thing he can think to do is hold onto the German.

Mesut breaks the kiss off and touches their foreheads. “I’m so happy. I thought you could never feel the same. I thought you had found out my feelings and were disgusted by me” Mesut chokes out and Mathieu suddenly feels terrible. He pulls back only to cradle Mesut’s cheeks in his hands.

“I’m…I could never be disgusted by you. I’m so sorry”

Mesut smiles shyly “Perhaps you can make it up to me?”

Mathieu grins back “Of course mon amour” replies and kisses Mesut again.

**Author's Note:**

> So my friend told me there are no fics of this pairing which is very surprising????? Like these two are joined at the hip. They literally got voted best bromance ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POr1grFXHP4 )
> 
> Anyways I took it upon myself to fix this tragedy because what the hell. Un-beta'd so feel free to be like "Zom your grammar is terrible pls fix [X] part and I will gladly fix it.


End file.
